The call has gone out to Brimbank men to help make the municipality safer for women. With police statistics showing family incidents in Brimbank increasing by 16.1 per cent in the year to March…a 2013 Women’s Health West study revealed that Brimbank women felt less safe than in any other area in the region…

Women living in the west are being called on to send a fond farewell to a Footscray icon. Women of the West is a group that creates events for women to have fun while giving back to the community…the group has been organising events since 2012, raising money for Women’s Health West and other local charities…

3zzz radio: Women’s World interview on economic participation research report

2 June 2016 | 3zzz, Women’s World

3ZZZ’s Women’s World radio presenter Orietta Wheatley talked to Women’s Health West Health Promotion Coordinator, Sally Camilleri, about the findings and recommendations in our Economic Participation and Equity for Women from Refugee and Migrant backgrounds research report.

POLICE will use forensic science to combat family violence in an initiative to be rolled out at police stations in Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong and Wyndham this month. Womens Health West family violence manager Jacky Tucker said it was important for police and support services to share information…

SYSTEMIC racism, gender stereotypes and inadequate vocational training are standing in the way of refugee and migrant women in Melbourne’s west contributing to Australian society, a report has found. The joint Women’s Health West and Victoria University project involved speaking with 60 women from five communities in Melbourne’s west and several community-based organisations over 10 months.

SOME tertiary-educated Muslim women in Melbourne’s west face discrimination because of their cultural background, anecdotal evidence suggests. A new research project is assessing the issue and asking women to come forward and share their experiences. The University of Melbourne and Women’s Health West have launched the project to look at barriers women face, to help support them and educate employers…

The Royal Commission into Family Violence report was released last Wednesday, with the State Government vowing to implement all 227 recommendations, a move that has gained bipartisan support. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said there were many strong recommendations in the report that would help to build and strengthen existing work to provide an integrated response to women and children experiencing family violence…

RISING rates of syphilis and HIV in the north and west have prompted experts to encourage young people to always engage in safe sex. Health professionals have advised that using condoms or dams during intercourse remained important for sexually active young people. Women’s Health West health promotion worker Alyce Vella said some sexually transmitted infections remained incurable…

The Royal Commission into Family Violence report was released last Wednesday, with the State Government vowing to implement all 227 recommendations, a move that has gained bipartisan support. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said there were many strong recommendations in the report that would help to build and strengthen existing work to provide an integrated response to women and children experiencing family violence…

AGENCIES on the frontline of family violence in Melbourne’s western suburbs have praised the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Family Violence, saying it will change lives. Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre and Women’s Health West both welcomed the State Government’s commitment to implement all 227 recommendations…

Our CEO Robyn Gregory joins VCOSS CEO Emma King, Berry Street CEO Sandie de Wolf and The University of Melbourne Professor of Social Work Cathy Humphreys to discuss the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence report. Have a listen…

THE leading organisation tackling violence against women in Melbourne’s west has welcomed the findings of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said there is still a long road ahead with finer details to be ironed out, but the report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, marks a turning point in combating family violence…

RISING rates of syphilis and HIV in the north and west have prompted reminders for young people to always engage in safe sex. Women’s Health West Health Promotion Worker Alyce Vella said comprehensive sex education in schools and youth-friendly services played an important part in delivering the “safe sex” message…

FAMILY violence referrals have reached record levels in Melbourne’s west. Women’s Health West has experienced a 30 per cent jump in demand, with almost 5000 referrals from Victoria Police during July to December 2015, igniting calls for more funding for response and violence prevention initiatives…

PROPOSED changes to bulk billing for pap screen tests could have a “significant impact” on women in the west, according to Women’s Health West. The women’s health and advocacy organisation has expressed fears the proposed changes could result in women paying up to $30 for a pap smear…

SEXUAL health among Brimbank’s youth will be at the centre of a new program. Women’s Health West and the Action for Equity partnership will work together to raise awareness of safe sex and where to get free and cheap condoms in the west…

Moves to cut back life-saving bulk-billed Medicare services will hit women in Melbourne’s west hard, a health professional warns. Women’s Health West acting health promotion manager Elly Taylor said the changes, to come into effect in July, would significantly disadvantage women in marginalised communities…

RECORD numbers of family violence victims are being sent to Women’s Health West for help — and referrals are expected keep rising. Data shows 1470 people were referred to Women’s Health West by Melton and Caroline Springs police in the 2013-14 financial year — a 30 per cent jump…

2 February 2016 | Star Weekly (blog)
A western suburbs nurse wants young people to have better access to health services to help stem rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across the region… Research by Women’s Health West found sexually active young people in Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong were least likely to use a condom…

More than 250 calls for help came in to Women’s Health West from domestic violence victims and via police referrals in the first five days of this year. That’s 50 calls a day and more than two calls every hour…

A PROJECT to teach Muslim women from the Horn of Africa about human rights and community advocacy will run in the west this year. Women’s Health West is searching for women who live, work or study in the west to take part in Our Community, Our Rights…

CHRISTMAS is one the worst times of year for family violence, and now parents and workers are being given tools to help traumatised children. Frontline services are bracing for the tragic flip side of the festive season, with a sharp surge in reports of domestic incidents each year…

THE 16 Days of Activism project encourages people around the world to undertake actions to promote gender equality and prevent violence against women, between November 25 and December 10. The Preventing Violence Together group, led by Women’s Health West, have launched their own version of the campaign…

THE Preventing Violence Together group, led by Women’s Health West, has released a list of 16 actions you can choose to take up, including educating others, learning to recognise ‘victim blaming’ and challenging sexism in advertising…

A WESTERN-SUBURBS family violence support agency has called for more money to deal with the increasing rate of police referrals. Women’s Health West social worker Jacqueline Tucker spoke at the state Royal Commission into Family Violence last week….

Women’s Health West is backing a statewide pilot program for women and children who experience family violence. The $900,000 trial will test how technology, such as CCTV in the home and personal safety cards linked to emergency services, can be used to help improve security for at-risk women and children…

As the CEO of one of the largest Not for Profits dedicated to improving the lives of women, Dr Robyn Gregory has proved to be a tireless advocate for equality. Gregory is this week’s Changemaker. She spoke to Xavier Smerdon. Dr Robyn Gregory runs Women’s Health West, a Not for Profit promoting women’s health and responding to family violence for the entire West of Melbourne…

UNEMPLOYMENT, family violence, mental health issues and family breakdowns are forcing homeowners throughout Melbourne’s west into mortgage stress… The Mortgage Wellbeing Service is run in partnership with Djerriwarrh Health Services, and works closely with Centrelink, Women’s Health West, Melton Council, settlement agencies and healthcare workers.

…The royal commission heard the police response to family violence had improved dramatically in the past decade but gaps remained in police training and understanding. Consistent public messages from public figures, including former police commissioner Ken Lay, had raised the profile of family violence and given women greater trust in the system, said Jacky Turner [sic], the family violence manager at Women’s Health West.

A YOUNG woman who was held captive by her former partner for two hours before she managed to escape says family violence has been kept “secret” for too long… Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack said she wanted to see improvements in initial police response risk assessments…. Manager of Family Violence Services at Women’s Health West, Jacky Tucker agreed, and said that evidence gathered at the scene of homes must be better collected and kept.

ELEANOR HALL: Let’s go now to Melbourne where … This week’s hearing of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence is examining the way police officers deal with calls for help in domestic disputes… Jackie [sic] Tucker, from Women’s Health-West says she there also could be training for police to help them more accurately identify the perpetrator of violence.

A COUNCIL in Melbourne’s west is leading the charge in the fight to end men’s violence against women by addressing gender inequality in the workplace. Gender inequality was highlighted as a leading cause of men’s violence against women at a forum on June 25 … But Mr Tori said there was always more to be done. “The forum highlighted several programs available through Women’s Health West and other agencies that target the early years and youth area which the council will consider adopting…

STAMPING out gender inequality is key to eradicating violence against women. And community and business leaders from Melton, Brimbank, Moonee Valley and Hobsons Bay will start that change in their workplaces. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said 800 reports of family violence had been made every month this year … Dr Gregory said there was no doubt gender inequality was both a leading cause and consequence of men’s violence against women.

24 June 2015 | Brimbank and North West, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay, Melton and Moorabool Star Weekly
Leaders in Melbourne’s west have joined forces to oppose men’s violence against women…ABC broadcaster Libbi Gorr, Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory, Deakin University social work chairman Professor Bob Pease, Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack, Hobsons Bay council chief executive Chris Eddy and Sons of the West program manager Nathan Bibby will speak at the event.

Time to stop the abuse: forum calls on community to end violence against women

23 June 2015 | Melton Leader
COMMUNITY leaders from across Melbourne’s west will unite to end violence against women. An event, hosted by the Western Metropolitan Regional Management Forum, Victoria University and the Western Bulldogs’ Sons of the West program, will be held this Thursday in Caroline Springs…The forum will be headed by a panel of experts including Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory, Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack and Hobsons Bay City Council chief executive Chris Eddy.

23 June 2015 | Cosmopolitan Magazine, Australia
A condom vending machine has been installed in Footscray Public Library in Victoria reports the Herald Sun. Women’s Health West Chief Executive Dr. Robyn Gregory told the Herald Sun the machine was put in the library as a result of a recent major increase in sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies in the area.

22 June 2015 | Cosmopolitan Magazine blog, USA
According to the Herald Sun, a condom vending machine has been installed in Australia’s Footscray Public Library. The machine is part of an effort to improve people’s access to condoms. Women’s Health West Chief Executive Dr. Robyn Gregory told the Herald Sun the machine was put in the library as a result of a recent major increase in sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies in Maribyrnong, where the library is located.

22 June 2015 | Maribyrnong Leader
CONDOM vending machines have been installed in the public toilets at Footscray Library…Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said the initiative was in response to an increase in sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies in Maribyrnong.

18 June 2015 | Brimbank Leader
MANY working women who try to leave a violent family home face an ‘uphill battle’ to find affordable housing in the western suburbs, according to a new report… Two weeks ago, Leader reported the western suburbs urgently needed at least two more refuges for women fleeing extreme family violence, according to Women’s Health West. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory said a lack of affordable homes and long waiting lists for social housing contributed to the urgency.

12 June 2015 | Brimbank Leader
WOMEN’S Health West will be able to offer counselling to an extra 56 children a year, thanks to a much needed cash injection from the State Government. The government has announced a $3.5 million boost to counselling services for survivors of family violence across the state…Dr Gregory said the money would enable Women’s Health West to recruit an extra full-time children’s counsellor.

10 June 2015 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay Star Weekly
Services tackling family violence in the western suburbs face an uphill battle in the face of crippling funding cuts, a forum has heard. The Family Violence Forum in Footscray last Wednesday, organised by St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman and Footscray MP Marsha Thomson, aired a number of frustrations hampering service providers and police. It coincided with a record number of police referrals of family violence cases to Footscray-based Women’s Health West, 7629 in the past 11 months or almost one every hour.

10 June 2015 | Moonee Valley Leader
VICTIMS of family violence in Melbourne’s West are not getting the support they need owing to a significant shortage in refuges. Women’s Health West chief executive Dr Robyn Gregory says the west needs at least two more refuges to cater for victims.

9 June 2015 | Wyndham Leader
WYNDHAM is in desperate need of a refuge for women fleeing family violence and Women’s Health West wants the State Government to act. In a submission to the Federal Government’s Royal Commission into Family Violence, the service said the population growth in the west had meant women and children escaping violent homes were facing “huge unmet needs” because the region did not have enough shelters to accommodate them.

9 June 2015 | Melton Leader
WITH reports of family violence more than doubling in Melton in the past four years, a leading women’s health service is calling for a refuge to be built in the municipality. Women’s Health West, in a submission to the State Government’s Royal Commission into family violence, states that population growth in the west meant women and children fleeing family violence were facing “huge unmet needs because our region doesn’t have anywhere near the number (of) women’s refuges to accommodate them”.

9 June 2015 | Maribyrnong Leader
WITH reports of domestic violence in Maribyrnong almost tripling in the past four years, a leading women’s health service is calling for at least two more refuges in the west… The submission reports that a new purpose-built centre with crisis accommodation and counselling and therapy rooms was “long overdue”. Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory said the west had just two women’s refuges, the lowest number across metropolitan Melbourne.

8 June 2015 | Brimbank Leader
Women’s Health West, based in Footscray, provides services to women and children in crisis across Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Melbourne, Moonee Valley and Wyndham. Dr Gregory said providing an additional two women’s refuges to meet demand in these municipalities would help. She said it would be a “no-brainer” to locate the new refuges within the municipalities experiencing the greatest population growth – Wyndham and Melton.

2 June 2015 | Melton and Moorabool Star Weekly
Melton is the only affordable Melbourne suburb for Victorian families fleeing violence and women at risk of homelessness…Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory said the commission needed to address links between family violence, housing and homelessness in Victoria. “One of the key factors as to why women don’t leave violent relationships is the issue of where they can go when they do leave,” Dr Gregory said. “They need to go somewhere where there are good schools and public transport, and Melton might just be that place…”

2 June 2015 | Melton and Moorabool Star Weekly
Preventing family violence means acknowledging it is gender-based, according to Melton council…Melton council has also contributed to submissions prepared by the Municipal Association of Victoria, Preventing Violence Together Partnership (led by Women’s Health West), and the interface councils. Submissions to the Royal Commission closed last Friday.

21 April 2015 | Melton and Moorabool Star Weekly
Domestic violence is preventable and not inevitable, according to Women’s Health West. ‘If we want to get real about ending violence against women, we need to work on preventing it,’ the organisation’s senior health promotion officer Stephanie Rich said.

14 April 2015 | Brimbank Leader
WOMEN’S Health West has encouraged everyone living in the western suburbs to embrace diversity, respect each other and remain committed to human rights. The board of the women’s health service, which covers Brimbank, Melton, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Wyndham, Hobsons Bay and Melbourne, issued a statement last week after supporters of Reclaim Australia and No Room For Racism faced off at Federation Square on April 4. The Women’s Health West statement said they recognised, respected and planned around women’s diverse beliefs, strengths, experiences and goals…

8 April 2015 | Hobsons Bay Leader
Ms Biron, aged 70, will stage her comic debut when she opens for headline act Mandy Nolan’s Home Truths — a book launch and comedy show, as well as a fundraiser for Women’s Health West.

Helping in crisis

31 March 2015 | Maribyrnong Leader
Women’s Health West has welcomed the extension of homelessness funding for two more years. The National Partnership Against Homelessness agreement has a focus on family violence. The centre has used the money to create programs such as a 24/7 crisis response that received 6209 police referrals last financial year.

28 March 2015 | The Age, Letters to the Editor
The 2013 review of the Victorian parole system was motivated partly by the community demanding action to stop the recidivist offending of violent men. A flow-on effect is that those in the category of ‘serious violent offenders’ must complete an ‘offending behaviours program’ prior to release. This includes those who have committed sexual offences (overwhelmingly men) and those who have committed non-sexual offences (mostly women).

In the men’s prison, the programs are widely available. However, some women wait in prison for years past their earliest release date for parole until a place on the program is available. Many elect to serve full sentences rather than face the uncertainty of being on this list. Where is the justice, when male sexual offenders can get parole due to program access, while female offenders who pose limited risk to the community cannot?

More than five family violence incidents a day were reported on average in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay last year… Police referred 820 women in January and 760 women in February to Footscray-based Women’s Health West (WHW). Its chief executive Robyn Gregory expects this figure to rise as more women gain confidence in the system.

Crime stats: family violence cases surge

24 March 2015 | Maribyrnong Leader

DOMESTIC violence cases have almost tripled in Maribyrnong over the past four years, new crime stats reveal… Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory said she wasn’t surprised by the data, given the announcement of a royal commission into family violence and high profile cases such as the death of Luke Batty. Dr Gregory said domestic violence boiled down to gender inequality and while the system for helping women wasn’t broken, it was under enormous strain…

24 March 2015 | Wyndham Leader
Wyndham has an unenviable record when it comes to family violence. The municipality has the highest number of domestic violence cases in the western suburbs and the sixth highest in Victoria… Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory said she wasn’t surprised by the figures…

4 March 2015 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay StarWeekly
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have risen dramatically in Hobsons Bay, while Maribyrnong recorded the highest rate in the western region, according to a report released last month by HealthWest… Women’s Health West has previously called for improvements to sex education and access to health services to stem rising STI rates…

3 March 2015 | Brimbank Leader
A booklet created for women from the Indian subcontinent who apply for intervention orders at the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court is helping to spread the word that family violence is unacceptable in all cultures. Women’s Health West and a group of women from the Indian community, in consultation with Indian community leaders have developed the pamphlet…

March 2015 | A quarterly bulletin from North Metro Health and West Metro Health Department of Health and Human Services
Women’s Health West’s (WHW) You, Me and Us program has trained and supported 47 culturally and linguistically diverse young women aged 18 to 24 to co-deliver respectful relationships education sessions with WHW health promotion workers… You, Me and Us is the only Victorian program, and one of three national programs to work with young people aged 10 to 13. Unfortunately the Australian Government Department of Social Services’ funding for this successful three year project concluded in November 2014…

Sex ed key to stem rising STI rates across Wyndham

2 March 2015 | Wyndham Star Weekly
Women’s Health West has previously called for improvements to sex education and access to health services to stem rising STI rates.

25 February 2015 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay StarWeekly
Preparations are in full swing to mark the celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8) in Maribyrnong… Women’s Health West will host a film screening and dance from 3.45pm to 6pm next Wednesday at VU at MetroWest in Footscray.

11 February 2015 | Wyndham Star Weekly
Vulnerable women and children of the west are at risk of becoming homeless unless there’s an urgent commitment to funding, a Footscray-based service has found. Women’s Health West (WHW) supports women and children fleeing family violence through programs funded under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH), which is set to expire on June 30.

9 February 2015 | The Australian
In an unprecedented move, CEOs of more than 50 homelessness agencies and social welfare bodies have united to warn the Federal Government that thousands of vulnerable people could be thrown into homelessness if national homelessness funding is allowed to expire…Women’s Health West was one of the signatories to this letter published in the Australian newspaper.

THERE were 3940 family violence cases in Brimbank and Melton between January and December last year. Acting Sergeant Jessica Boyle from the Brimbank Family Violence Support Team said of those reports, 2184 came from Brimbank and 1756 from Melton…For assistance contact Women’s Health West on 9689 9588.

The real prison issues

25 January 2015 | The Age, Letters to the Editor
While “Fakeup” (Online, 20/1) highlights the ingenious cosmetics methods utilised by women in American prisons, their Australian counterparts experience pressing health issues. In Victoria, these include unacceptable waiting lists for medical care in the privatised prison system. Also, lack of access to specialised services such as hepatitis C treatment and mental health care. Strip searches are also problematic. Women in prison have high rates of past physical and sexual abuse. I would love The Age to tackle these issues.

14 January 2015 | Brimbank & Northwest Starweekly
The lead-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for family violence services, with Women’s Health West (WHW) receiving the same number of police referrals in December as it did for the entire year in 2006-07. WHW received 657 police referrals for the western metropolitan area in December last year and 715 in November. According to WHW 24-hour crisis response co-ordinator Louisa, the service received 708 police referrals for the entire 2006-7 year…

13 January 2015 | Brimbank Leader
VICTORIA University Secondary College students have joined the fight against domestic violence. Students at the college’s Deer Park junior campus presented $500 toWomen’s Health West, a family violence service for the western region. The money was raised as part of the White Ribbon Day fundraiser, where staff and students sold 200 white ribbons and held a sausage sizzle…

2014

18 December 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader
THE future of a women’s health service in Melbourne’s west remains uncertain after its lease on a new site was no longer tenable. Maribyrnong Council has cancelled the contract with Women’s Health West to rent out the former Howard Kingham Lodge in Darnley St, under a 21-year agreement…Dr Gregory said while it would start to fundraise to help afford a rebuild, it was possible the service might need to be relocated outside the region.

17 December 2014 | Hobsons Bay Leader
PEOPLE are being urged to “take back Cherry Lake’’ after a woman was assaulted there…. Women’s Health West ­senior health promotion worker Stephanie Rich congratulated the council for ­organising the event. “It sends a message that as a community we support women’s rights to feel safe and be safe in their community,” Ms Rich said.
“It’s not up to women to avoid violence. It’s up to men and the community to ensure violence doesn’t happen against women.’’

16 December | Maribyrnong Leader
THE future of a women’s health service in Melbourne’s west remains uncertain after its lease on a new site was no longer tenable. …Dr Gregory said while it would start to fundraise to help afford a rebuild, it was possible the service might need to be relocated outside the region.

25 November 2014 | Brimbank Leader
BRIMBANK Council, business associations and Women’s Health West will be working to raise awareness of violence against women during the next fortnight. The two weeks of action will begin today (Tuesday, November 25) on White Ribbon Day.

25 November 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader
Organisations in the west have banded together to tackle violence against women. The Preventing Violence Together – United campaign will see Footscray-based Women’s Health West post a photo each day of a councillor, manager and other champions declaring their commitment to preventing violence against women. It will run until December 10.

19 November 2014 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay Star Weekly
Preventing violence against women will be promoted through a 16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence global campaign. The campaign will be joined in the western region by a partnership of 16 councils and health and community groups that will focus on gender violence as a violation of human rights… Women’s Health West health promotion co-ordinator Sally Camilleri said gender inequality and rigid stereotypes needed to change for violence against women to become a thing of the past.

11 November 2014 | The Weekly Review Moonee Valley
Organisations aiming to end violence against women in Moonee Valley and other areas are taking their message to the twitter-sphere and other social media. They are part of a global movement known as 16 Days of Activism…Women’s Health West, which is one of the 16 partners along with the council, has seen a huge increase in requests for services for women…

11 November 2014 | Brimbank and Northwest Star Weekly
A new program to help women and children at risk of family violence is coming to the western suburbs. The state government has pledged $2.2 million over the next four years to set up two risk assessment and management panels (RAMP) across the west after successful pilots in Hume and Geelong…Women’s Health West family violence services manager Jacky Tucker said the organisation received about 600 police referrals a month for …

5 November 2014 | Herald Sun (Hobsons Bay Leader)
Family violence service Women’s Health West has spoken of the critical need for affordable housing for women in the wake of significant opposition to apartment plans in Newport. Family violence services manager Jacky Tucker said more affordable housing was needed not just for women and children but also for financially strapped older women…

30 October 2014 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay Star Weekly
Women and children fleeing family violence will be among those supported this year by the Hobsons Bay Community Fund. Footscray-based Women’s Health West has received a $5000 grant for its women’s refuge at Hobsons Bay…

17 October 2014 | Leader
MELBOURNE’S family violence services will receive an average of $3000 from the State Government for every woman who goes to them for help… Ms Wooldridge said cash for the support packages accompanied the establishment of the Risk Assessment and Management Panel… Services earmarked to receive the extra cash include: Women’s Health West, Berry Street Victoria, Eastern Domestic Violence Outreach Service, WAYSS Family Violence Outreach Service and Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service.

09 September 2014 | Wyndham Leader
Wyndham Council says the State Government must urgently address a lack of crisis housing as family violence incidents continue to rise… Department of Human Services spokeswoman Ruth Ward said … the department also provided funding to Uniting Care Werribee Housing and Support Services for crisis services including housing support and homelessness assistance, and to Women’s Health West to provide family violence services.

09 September 2014 | Wyndham Leader
Cases of family violence have more than doubled in Wyndham over the past five years. Yet less than a third ended in criminal charges…Women’s Health West family violence outreach coordinator Tess La Fontaine said many victims don’t want to subject themselves to the court system or blight their partner’s record. “It would be incredibly daunting for some women to lay charges,” she said…

09 September 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader
Cases of family violence have more than doubled in Maribyrnong over the past five years. Yet less than a third ended in criminal charges…Women’s Health West family violence outreach coordinator Tess La Fontaine said many victims don’t want to subject themselves to the court system…

Women’s Health West cash dries up as family violence cases soar

Women’s Health West (WHW), which handles almost all family violence incidents in the west, has seen direct reports soar 54 per cent in the past year…

Violence at home rising in the west: funds lag as reports rise

29 July 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader

Family violence reports in the western suburbs have hit a 20-year high, a leading women’s health service says. It comes as Women’s Health West says it will be forced to decide who needs help based on greatest need to a lag in State Government funding…

26 May 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader
IT WAS a time of pin curls, poodle skirts and powerful female singing trios…The Women of the West (WOW) event is raising money for Women’s Health West, which provides family ¬violence services, health promotion, court support and crisis housing.

23 May 2014 | The Age
Indian women living in Australia suffer domestic violence stemming from a tradition that some say should be outlawed… Jacky Tucker is family violence manager at Women’s Health West, which provides services across Melbourne’s western suburbs. She knows of at least two Indian women who took their own lives because they felt their family situation was so desperate. The service supports many women who have arrived from India on spousal or student visas.

20 May 2014 | Brimbank Leader
CHILDREN exposed to family violence in the west will be worse off under the State Budget, according to Women’s Health West. Dr Robyn Gregory, chief executive of the non-profit group, which provides outreach to women and children in Brimbank, Melton, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham, said the state budget provided no extra funding for family violence response services.

28 April 2014 | Melton Star Weekly
Under-funded support services for vulnerable women are struggling to meet demand, according to Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory. Urging the state government to pour more money into the prevention of violence against women, Dr Gregory said there was an urgent need to cut long waiting lists for women and children seeking counselling.

28 April 2014 | Herald Sun
VIOLENT men should be held at court long enough for their female partners to get away without being followed, a family violence expert says…Women’s Health West’s chief executive, Dr Robyn Gregory, said family court hearings were a time when women were most at risk and emotions were most heightened.

24 Apr 2014 | SBS
Victorian police handled more than 60,000 domestic violence reports last year but it took a spate of high-profile attacks for the community to take notice…Women’s Health West CEO Robyn Gregory says efforts are being made to stop violence before it happens but funding is inadequate.

19 March 2014 | Brimbank Leader
LESS than a quarter of Brimbank ladies feel safe walking at night, Women’s Health West statistics show. The data backs up comments the Leader received from women and children last week about Clarke St in Sunshine, which has been described as a “ghost town” after 6pm… Women’s Health West chief executive Robyn Gregory said most violence against women was committed at home. “However, data on women’s perceptions of safety is crucial when councils are planning public spaces,” Dr Gregory said.

18 March 2014 | Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Point Cook Star
A WESTERN suburbs politician has been criticised for being “out of step” with his views on abortion. Victorian Upper House Member for the Western Metropolitan Region, Bernie Finn, who organises the pro-life protest March for the Babies every year, told Star that abortion was not acceptable under any circumstances, including cases of rape… But CEO of Women’s Health West, Dr Robyn Gregory, told Star the vast majority of the population did not support Mr Finn’s views.

11 March 2014 | Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay Weekly
Vulnerable women at risk of family violence could be in greater danger without an urgent injection of funding. Footscray-based Women’s Health West (WHW) is one of a number of domestic violence services with programs at risk because of uncertainty surrounding a homelessness funding agreement between state and federal governments that runs out in June.

11 March 2014 | Footscray, Yarraville, Braybrook Star
WOMEN’S Health West will move to Braybrook this year after signing a 21-year lease with Maribyrnong City Council. The women’s health service, which has operated in Footscray for the past 25 years, will move from its current Barkly St premises to the former Howard Kingham Lodge aged facility on Darnley St… “The social contribution that Women’s Health West has been making not only to our municipality but the greater West (is great).

4 March 2014 | Sunshine, Ardeer, Albion Star
INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day will be celebrated in Sunshine this Friday with dancing and a documentary. Women’s Health West (WHW) has organised the event in conjunction with Brimbank City Council, Maribyrnong City Council and Phoenix Youth Centre.

4 March 2014 | Brimbank Leader
Language barriers affecting more than half of Brimbank’s population can be addressed, the Brimbank Council believes…Women’s Health West data shows 23.1 per cent of female residents in Brimbank who speak a language other than English speak English ‘not well’ or ‘not at all’.

25 February 2014 | Brimbank Leader
Women’s Health West family violence services manager Jacky Tucker says family violence is a huge problem in Wyndham, in Melbourne’s west, and more need to be done to prevent it…Ms Tucker said police and the justice system needed to back up the fact that it was unacceptable by consistently punishing people who broke intervention orders and assaulted their partners.

18 February 2014 | Brimbank Leader
Women in Brimbank will celebrate achievements and recognise goals on International Women’s Day. Women’s Health West and the Brimbank Council will screen the documentary I Am A Girl at the Visy Cares Hub on March 7.

18 February 2014 | Maribyrnong Leader
A LEADING women’s health service will stay in Maribyrnong, relocating to Braybrook this year. Women’s Health West had been based in Footscray for the past 25 years, providing crisis support and counselling, yet in a major setback its lease couldn’t be extended.

1 January 2014 | Brimbank Leader
A WOMEN’S Health West report found chlamydia and gonorrhoea are on the rise in Brimbank while the number of syphilis cases dropped. Brimbank women’s pap screening rate of 54.5 per cent was just above the western region average­ but lower than the state average of 60.1 per cent.

Women's Health West acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, the people of the Kulin Nation, and we pay our respects to Elders and community members past and present. We express solidarity with the ongoing struggle for land rights, self-determination, sovereignty and the recognition of past injustices. We express our hope for reconciliation and justice.

Women's Health West acknowledges the support of a number of funding bodies including: